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Reusing and recycling

20 Sep 2011

If there is a way to make something using what he has on hand he will find a way.

He even fashioned a new stainless steel blade for the scythe with some pieces from the old washing machine.

Much of our recycling and reusing is not very glamorous but that's OK, it works.

This archway above though is not one of his creations , it was made by my Dad.

The curved wood on top of the arch came from the balcony of a friend of Mum's and they had got it from an old hotel in Launceston.

The rest of the arch was made from bits and pieces Dad had on hand at home.

Dad also made the chook yard from new and recycled materials.

You can't see it but the step up to the henhouse is an old piece of sandstone, orignally someone's front step. The henhouse itself was an aviary built by the previous owners.

Stephen put limbs from one of the wattle trees in as roosts for the chooks and the water bowl is an old kitchen bowl that sits in a hanging basket chain to stop Charlie the duck from hopping in.

Charlie does have a bath , it's an old cat litter tray.

Another one of Dad's creations.

An old wheelbarrow mended with the no longer needed outer metal frame of their above ground swimming pool.

He rivetted it on to what was left of the old barrow and glued an old bicycle inner tube around the rim so it wasn't sharp.

Brilliant.

Stephen made his folly mostly from reclaimed wood, reclaimed from the rubbish skip from over the road.

This garden trug he made from left over pieces from another job.

This was originally a desk in the infant section of the primary school that I went to.

Mum saved it from going to the rubbish dump when all the desks were replaced.

She gave it to us and we used to have our stereo on it.

Eventually after many other uses it was moved to the back door where it holds shoes and boots and seeds and sports stuff and things heading back to the shed.

The corner layer of the veneer started to lift off so Stephen repaired that and it will be useful for many years to come.

Now I told you it wasn't glamorous.

This old couch was given to us a couple of years ago.

It was cheap couch and I think we are the third owners.

We covered it with rugs and cushions and it was fine but we don't need it any more.

We tried to donate it to the City Mission ( charity shop) but they said it was junk and not fit to sell -

well pooh to them.

So since mid winter it has been outside, nobody wants it but I can tell you though it looks rather sad it is a wonderous thing.

A reasonable comfortable couch in your backyard where it catches all the morning sun is such a luxury.

Owing to its rather cheap construction the water just runs through it when it rains.

I just take the cushions off to let things dry out in the sun and then it's fine.

In the summer I will most likely add a crocheted rug or two to pretty it up but even without that it is a mecca for cats and humans,

what bliss.

I presume the glue, or whatever holds it together will give up with the constant assaults by the weather and of course the cover will get more tatty but until then, for this summer this couch and a good book will be in high demand.

I could show you more that mostly involves jars and yarns and pretty tins and linen and china but I have to get lots done today

so I will show you one last thing ,

just finished this weekend and awaiting its new tenants.

Kate and Stephen built this guinea pig house entirely from recycled materials even the nails and screws, all materials found on this property.

Your place sounds just like ours, our chook house was made by my clever husband using recycled wood from the tip shop at Invermay (thanks to the local council we no longer have) and the roof is the canopy off an old ute, the chook door was a dumb waiter door, he made a top for our bathroom vanity out of an art deco bedhead we were given and drawers from a set of sewing machine drawers, the cupboard above the vanity is made from and old dresser with leadlight doors that was rotting away in a stable and bits and pieces off an old piano.......we love it, not only do we have unique, useful practical things, we are reducing landfill....less is more,DiMowbray

PS Under $100 column in the Examiner Tuesdays often has guinea pigs as give aways :-)

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